Kids’ TV programme joins swimming row

11:05am Tuesday 9th November 2004

THREATENED Ladywell Leisure Centre has featured on a BBC programme criticising the closure of swimming pools in the UK.

CBBC's kids health programme Short Change used the Lewisham High Street pool as an example of how pool closures are hitting children's ability to exercise.

The programme, broadcast on November 4, argued the rise in pool closures has disastrously come about at the same time as attempts to tackle a growing obesity epidemic among the young.

It said since 1997 105 swimming pools have closed and the number of leisure centres without pools has risen from 1,548 to 2,148.

Campaigners have been fighting hard to save the pool, which is set to be shut in 2007 by Lewisham Council, which wants to use the site to build a new secondary school.

The grand-daughters of Save Ladywell Pool campiagner Yvonne Randall, 72, appeared on the programme describing how hard it would be for them to exercise if the pool closed.

Although a new leisure centre will open as part of the town centre Lewisham Gateway development in 2010 residents believe the three-year closure will hit the community hard.

Max Calo, organiser of the Save Ladywell Leisure Centre campaign, said: "The closure of this pool is going to limit chances of many people who really need to exercise.

"Not having the pool will be a big blow."

Despite facing huge public opposition to the pool's closure, which was announced in July, Lewisham Mayor Steve Bullock has stuck by a decision he describes as "difficult" to meet election promises to open a new school in the borough by 2009.